Tuesday, January 26, 2016

The Great Snow Cream Taste Test: Five Recipes and variations

Have you ever made snow cream? It is good, but it's not that good. It still tastes like snow more than anything else.

Our usual recipe has always served us well, but this year, we wondered- is there a way to make snow cream better? Like something we'd actually want to eat more than once a year? We decided to branch out and try some variations since there is plenty of snow for experimentation. After collecting suggestions from friends and readers, we voted on five recipes to sample and set up a taste test, hoping to find that perfect snow cream recipe that is less like eating snow and more like eating dessert.

Our testers ranged from experienced snow-eaters (Sam) to brand new ones (Felix). Everyone was excited to try out some variations on the traditional vanilla snow cream we have always made.

For reference, here's our regular recipe:

The amount of snow needed varies depending on the texture of the snow, so it usually ends up being somewhere between 2 and 3 quarts.

2. Fruity Snow Cone: Instead of vanilla, add one packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid mix and whisk to combine. You can also leave out the milk for an icier texture. We used Blue Raspberry Lemonade because it was what we had in the house. (We also had regular lemonade, but we avoided that one- no one should ever eat yellow snow, even if it came from a flavoring packet.) Word to the wise- if you have unsweetened drink mix, like we do, don't forget to put in the sugar. Yuck.

3. Creamy Cinnamon Snow Cream: instead of milk and sugar, add one half can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand is our favorite) and one tablespoon of cinnamon. This one was my favorite!

4. Frozen Hot Chocolate: instead of sugar, add one packet of instant hot chocolate mix. We liked the one with the mini marshmallows for an extra sweet treat. The majority of the testing team voted for this as their favorite recipe.

5. Kahlua Snow Cream: add coffee liqueur instead of vanilla for a special grownup snow cream treat. Dark chocolate shavings or cinnamon are also great on this one. Adult testers felt this recipe with the addition of sweetened condensed milk instead of regular milk was especially delicious.

Do you make snow cream? What's your favorite variation? We still have plenty of snow left in our yard, and I hear there might be more on the way- my taste testers are ready for another round of recipes, so please share yours!